by Kate Ryder
‘You’re right, Deanna,’ Oliver says, steadying himself. ‘Our marriage could be a lot healthier.’ His voice is dangerously low. ‘But, I have gone along with your plans and temporarily abandoned my career in order for you to pursue yours, even though it’s not a clever situation for either Sebastian or Jamie.’ His gaze rises above the treetops to the wispy cirrus clouds gracing the pale blue sky. ‘And I came back,’ he adds quietly. ‘What more do you want?’
‘Came back?’ Deanna exclaims. ‘I dragged you back, Oliver Foxley, to face up to your responsibilities.’
‘And I stayed,’ Oliver says in a voice little more than a whisper.
Even though it broke my heart.
‘Yes, you stayed,’ Deanna says, softening her voice. ‘But you need to do more than just stay. You have to evolve within the new set of circumstances. We can do this, Ollie. We can create a new life for us all.’
‘We shall see.’
‘We shall see?’ Incredulously, Deanna repeats his words. ‘What does that mean?’
‘Just that.’
‘No, Oliver, you need to actively embrace this challenge,’ she says, finding her trademark strength. ‘Put some effort into making it work. I will be back late Saturday night and I expect to find you there. I do not presume to come home to an empty house.’
As the line goes dead, Oliver replaces the handset in its cradle. Summer is fast approaching and he has every intention of evolving within the new set of circumstances Deanna has inflicted upon the family, but it may not be in the way she imagines. He rubs his temples. Why do their conversations always bring on a headache these days? As the ‘grey mist’ threatens to descend, Oliver squeezes his eyes shut. Physical exercise is what he needs. He will give his body a workout in the gym.
He’s half out of the chair when he notices an email in his inbox from Heather.
Darling,
I have arrived, and I am so excited to be here I can hardly contain myself. Six months of unadulterated fun and games! At the moment I am up to my neck in rehearsals. It would be wonderful if you’d come to the opening performance on Saturday. In anticipation, I have put aside tickets for you and Sabrina (if you’d like more please let me know).
I am so looking forward to reacquainting myself with you. I’ve never forgotten our connection. I know that not every person who walks into your life is meant to stay, but we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. The only thing we really have is right now and you, Oliver darling, have been in my thoughts a great deal lately. I would so enjoy spending time with you once again. Do say you will come and play…
As always, with love and affection.
Heather x
Her playfulness jumps off the screen and Oliver smiles wryly. He remembers what it was like to work with her; she was always so skittish, it was hard not to be swept along by her flirtatious attitude to life. Spending time with Heather is fun, and he could do with some of her radiating energy in his life just now. Opening night. Oliver frowns. He’d like to support her, but it’s the night Deanna has demanded he is home. Damn it! His wife cannot expect him to put his life on hold until it’s convenient for her to play at happy families once again. He will arrange for someone to keep an eye on the boys for the evening and ask Sammy if she’d like to accompany him. By the time Deanna leaves her theatre he will already be home. Without further hesitation Oliver replies to Heather’s email.
Again he rises from his chair but an incoming email halts him once more. As he reads the contents of his solicitor’s email his stomach tightens in anticipation. It is so very close. Attached is the financial statement for his purchase of the old coastguard cottages. Once he has agreed this they can exchange contracts. Oliver prints off the document, checks it through, and then phones his solicitor to advise him funds are on their way. As long as Mr and Mrs Richardson are in agreement he proposes a completion date for a week on Friday.
Leaning back in his leather captain’s chair, Oliver gazes up at Cara’s canvases. In his mind’s eye he sees her jogging along the beach towards him with her faithful dog at her side. Excitement bubbles in the pit of his stomach and a hesitant smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. There’s a promise of change in the air. Life will be different. Once the old coastguard cottages are his, he will take the boys to Cornwall for a few days and they can enjoy some adventures together.
Forty
‘So, Johnny, what are your first impressions of Cornwall?’ Jane glances across the breakfast table at her guest. He’s certainly easy on the eye at this time of the morning.
‘From what I’ve seen so far, I like it,’ Johnny says, buttering a slice of toast. ‘Particularly the beaches.’
‘Yes, we’re certainly lucky there,’ says Jane, gazing at the young man who, today, wears his hair down. Dark curls skim his shoulders. ‘Cara tells me you were on your way to Europe before you decided to make a detour.’
Johnny spreads jam thickly. ‘Yeah, I’d made plans to hook up with a friend in Paris, but he’s cool. We can meet up any time.’ He bites into his toast.
Jane sips her chamomile tea. Anything stronger just brings on nausea.
‘What prompted you to change your plans?’ she asks. ‘I mean, I came to Cornwall for a job, so I had a reason.’ She blushes at the true motivation for her question.
‘I had an invite I couldn’t pass up.’ Johnny smiles at the eager expectation on his host’s face. ‘Coffee and a Cornish pasty!’
‘It’s a long way to come just for that,’ Jane says, wondering how she can bring about the conversation she really wants to have.
‘Not for Americans. We’re used to travelling long distances.’
‘So, a nigh on three-hundred-mile journey for a coffee and pasty is nothing to an American?’
‘Well, put like that, it does sound a bit extreme!’ Johnny laughs.
‘Come on, Johnny, you can tell me,’ says Jane, deciding to lay on the pressure. ‘It was more than that, wasn’t it?’
Johnny picks up his mug of coffee and takes a mouthful. He assesses Jane over the rim. ‘OK. I confess it was.’
‘I knew it!’ Jane sits back and grins. Now she will learn the truth of his visit. But Johnny continues to eat his breakfast in silence. A few minutes later, unable to curtail her curiosity, she asks, ‘You are going to tell me, aren’t you? You’re not going to keep me dangling?’
Johnny smiles sweetly.
‘Jo-hn-ny,’ Jane wails, ‘you can’t keep a pregnant woman in suspense. It’s not good for her condition!’
‘OK!’ Johnny laughs again. ‘Cara helped make a boring journey across the pond more interesting and when I learned she was an artist I thought I’d come and see her work for myself. I can tell you, it hasn’t been a wasted trip. Her talent is amazing!’ He accentuates the word. ‘I wish I was that gifted.’
‘She is exceptional,’ agrees Jane, ‘but Cara doesn’t seem to realise it, which is such a breath of fresh air. Since she won the Threadneedle Prize loads of people from all over the world have visited her gallery. You could forgive her for becoming a little big-headed over all the fuss, but she hasn’t changed at all!’
Johnny swallows another mouthful of coffee. ‘Can I ask you something, Jane?’
She sits forward eagerly. ‘Fire away.’
‘I know she’s got kids, but is Cara single?’
‘Yes. I know it’s hard to believe, but she is.’
‘I got that impression, although she told me a good friend paid for her visit to the States.’
‘A good friend?’
‘Yeah. I’d say a very good friend. She travelled Upper Class.’
Jane pulls a face. ‘That must be Greg.’
‘You don’t like this Greg?’ Johnny asks, observing her with interest.
Jane sits back and considers his question. ‘Well, I don’t exactly dislike him. He’s smooth and sophisticated, and knows how to be a charmer. It’s just…’ She hesitates, wondering what exactly it is about Greg that makes her feel uncomfortable
. ‘Oh, I don’t know. He’s a lot older than Cara and I get the distinct impression he knows she’s his second chance. I worry about her. She shouldn’t have to settle for someone like that. She could be with anyone.’ Jane looks meaningfully at Johnny.
‘Mrs Corrington, what are you suggesting?’ Johnny teases, fully understanding Jane’s game.
Jane blushes, but continues with her cause. ‘Cara is a widow. She lost her husband four years ago. She’s still young and full of lightness of spirit, and she’s a damn good friend. I feel very protective and only want the best for her.’
‘She’s a widow,’ Johnny says quietly.
‘Yes, it happened before I came to Cornwall, but Trist told me about it. Christo was his best mate. They used to do everything together. Cara, Beth and Sky are like family to my husband.’
‘She told me she had a daughter and two sons,’ says Johnny.
‘Ah, yes, Toby.’ Jane’s face softens. ‘He’s such a beautiful, gorgeous little soul. I only hope my sproglet will be half as easy and happy go lucky when he makes an appearance.’
Johnny smiles kindly at her. ‘How old is Toby?’
Jane considers his question. ‘A year next week.’
Clear brown eyes gaze at her. ‘Didn’t you just say Cara lost her husband four years ago?’
‘You’re sharp for this time of the morning,’ she responds. ‘Toby is the result of an affair, only it was so much more than that, but, for reasons I can’t go into, it couldn’t develop into anything more.’ She gazes out of the window, thinking of the charming, handsome actor who made such an impact on all their lives that summer. It’s beyond her how Cara has continued with her free spirit intact. She would have been devastated if she’d experienced true love with Oliver, only to be forced to continue life without him. And then to find out she was pregnant! Jane shakes her head slowly. Her friend’s strength of purpose is truly humbling.
‘She’s lovely,’ says Johnny.
Jane’s gaze returns to her guest. ‘She is, Johnny, and one hell of a catch.’
The young American laughs. ‘You’re not matchmaking, are you, Jane?’
‘Could be, just a tad,’ she says with a cheeky grin.
‘Well, before you continue I guess I’d better tell you a bit about me.’
Jane sits back. At last!
‘I come from a very wealthy family where great things are expected of me and my siblings. Certain achievements are anticipated… like a good marriage. To carry on the family name, you understand.’ A fleeting emotion passes across the young man’s face.
Jane is all ears.
‘From as early as I can remember I’ve spent summers at my family’s second home in the Hamptons,’ Johnny continues. ‘Actually it’s our fourth, but we always think of it as our second because we love it there so much. Anyway, my parents are great friends with the owners of the neighbouring estate. They’ve always pushed their daughter in my direction and as kids we got along OK, but then as teenagers it got kinda tricky. Our parents teased us about the life we would have together and the beautiful children we’d bring into the world.’ Johnny pauses, a strained expression on his open face. ‘It was downright embarrassing but we went along with it, just to please the folks.’ Johnny glances at Jane. ‘I know that sounds kinda pathetic.’
Jane shakes her head. ‘Go on.’
‘Anyway, Caitlyn fell pregnant. She was just seventeen. She refused to have a termination and she didn’t want to give up the baby for adoption either so we got hitched, but I knew I didn’t love her. She had the child, a little girl who we named Naomi. We tried to make the marriage work but, in the end, however much pressure the folks put on us, we ended up hating each other. So, for the sake of our sanity and Naomi, we parted. Now I only see my daughter once a month or during the summer when I visit the Hamptons. She’s seven this year.’
‘Thank you for sharing this with me, Johnny.’ Jane smiles sympathetically. ‘People’s lives are rarely straightforward.’
‘That’s true,’ says Johnny. ‘However, my folks would disagree with you. Nothing has ever gone wrong in their lives because they mapped out a life plan. They can’t understand where this black sheep of a son has come from.’ Playing with a fork, Johnny grimaces. ‘They’ve told me to travel around Europe for a year and get my head in order otherwise they’ll cut me off from my inheritance.’
‘But that’s awful,’ exclaims Jane.
Johnny shakes his head. ‘The inheritance isn’t a big issue. To be honest, it’s a bit of an embarrassment, and I can make my own way in the world. But they’ve told me they’ll only accept me back in the family once I return as husband to Caitlyn and father to Naomi.’
‘For God’s sake. It’s the twenty-first century!’ Jane says heatedly. ‘We live in a democracy! You can choose how you want to live your life and with whom.’
A resigned look settles on Johnny’s face. ‘You’d think so, wouldn’t you? Anyway, that’s my story.’
Jane stares at her guest. What’s wrong with his parents? How can they disown a son just because he doesn’t want to marry the person they have in mind for him? They are lucky he even tried! Suddenly feeling light-headed, Jane grabs the table. Instantly Johnny springs to his feet.
‘Are you OK?’ he asks with concern.
She looks up at him, gratefully. ‘Just feeling a little spacey. I think I’ll go and lie down.’
‘Here, let me help,’ he says, swiftly moving around the table.
‘Thank you. Perhaps you could just help me to the couch.’ Holding onto the young man’s warm, steady hand, she heaves her bulk out of the chair. ‘You know, you’re always welcome to lodge here, Johnny,’ she says, as they head towards the living room, ‘should you find any reason not to resume your travels in Europe.’
‘Why, Mrs Corrington,’ says Johnny, helping her onto the couch, ‘I do believe you’re determined we all find happy endings.’
‘Of course! That’s why I came to Cornwall.’ Jane makes herself comfortable amongst the cushions and smiles up at him. ‘But that’s another story.’
Forty-one
Oliver, Samantha and Sabrina make their way backstage through the crowd. A throng of actors mill around the hallowed corridors and a general buzz of excitement pervades the air, tinged with relief at the first night’s successful performance. The audience loved the production and demanded several curtain calls. Even though Oliver is a fellow member of their profession, several actors turn their heads as he passes by. Samantha throws her father a smirk, to which she receives a raised eyebrow in response.
‘Here we are,’ Sabrina announces, halting at a door. She knocks.
‘Enter,’ a woman’s husky voice calls out.
As they cross the threshold into Heather’s dressing room, wafts of sweet scent greet them. Numerous bouquets of varying sizes and colour adorn every surface and give the room the appearance of a florist’s shop. A young assistant arrives in the doorway behind them with yet another bouquet.
‘Where shall I put these, Ms McMullen?’
Heather sits at a large mirror surrounded by lights. In the reflection, her eyes immediately lock onto Oliver’s. She waves her hand airily at the girl. ‘Anywhere you can find a space.’ She turns and gives the actor a megawatt smile, her radiance filling the room. ‘Oliver, darling.’ Rising from her chair and with hands outstretched, Heather quickly crosses the room. ‘How wonderful you came.’ Taking his hands in hers, she rises on tiptoe and kisses him on the cheek.
‘Wouldn’t miss it,’ says Oliver.
‘What did you think?’ she asks, still holding his hands.
‘It’s an excellent play and the role was made for you.’
Heather smiles with delight. Putting her arm around Oliver’s waist, she snuggles against his chest. Her gaze transfers to the two women standing politely alongside.
‘Oh, darling,’ Heather says, her tone changing as she holds out a hand to her agent. ‘I’m so pleased you made it, too!’
Sab
rina squeezes Heather’s hand. ‘Like Oliver, I wouldn’t have missed it either.’
Suddenly Heather’s eyes widen. ‘Why, aren’t you just the most elegant, young thing?’ she chirrups. Extracting herself from Oliver, she slowly circles Samantha, looking her up and down.
Unused to people scrutinising her in such a manner, Samantha blinks in surprise. She bites down hard on her lip in an attempt to stem the amused laughter wanting to burst forth.
‘And where did you spring from?’ asks Heather.
Samantha looks at Oliver and pulls a wry face.
‘Samantha is my eldest child,’ says Oliver with pride.
Heather stops circling and glances at Oliver. ‘But, darling, she’s simply adorable!’ She looks Samantha straight in the eye. ‘Do tell. What’s it like to have Oliver as a father?’
Samantha shrugs. ‘He’s just Dad.’
Clapping her hands together, Heather gives a shrill laugh. ‘Oh, isn’t she just the most delightful thing?’ she says to Sabrina.
Her agent nods in agreement.
‘You have the hottest, most talented actor on the planet as a father and you think he’s just Dad! My darling girl—’ Heather hooks arms with Samantha and walks her to the seat in front of the mirror ‘—sit,’ she commands. Placing her hands on Samantha’s shoulders, she pushes her down into the chair.
Bemused, Samantha stares at her reflection.
Heather leans down and levels her head with Samantha’s. She studies the young woman in the mirror. ‘Tell me what you see standing over there by the door.’
Samantha lifts her gaze to Oliver. Of course, she’s aware of how good-looking he is – she’d be blind not to see it – and all her life she’s witnessed people’s reactions to him. What does this woman want her to say?
‘Well?’ presses Heather.
Samantha shrugs again. ‘As I said, he’s just Dad.’
Oliver smiles. Like her mother, she’s her own woman.
Heather straightens up and turns to Oliver. ‘All I can say, darling, is you’ve brought your gorgeous daughter up to be a very level-headed young woman. She won’t go far wrong.’
